The Fader Fort is known for surprises. Last year it was Usher. Last night it was Snoop Dogg. But tonight as the Fort closed out its South By Southwest residency, there multiple revelations as both neo-soul goddess Erykah Badu and rapper Bun hit the stage to perform alongside headliner Rick Ross.
Between the three of them they blazed through nearly three hours of music as hundreds of fans – including rapper Yelawolf, who watched from the VIP area – partied along. Badu, whose appearance was announced just yesterday and who told the crowd "you don't even know how much I love you," started things off with a soulful touch. She was followed quickly by UGK rapper Bun B, who got the crowd super-hyped by playing "Big Pimpin'" – his 2000 song with Jay Z and the late UGK rapper Pimp C.
Bun B is a native Texan and a presence that lends truth to what producer/DJ/label-head A-Trak told WIRED just the other day. "I remember when Kanye came and did a surprise set at the Fader Fort maybe four years ago. That really opened the floodgates. Then everyone else in hip-hop was like, what’s the South By Southwest thing?" he said. "[Then] the underground guys started coming, and what’s even cooler on the rap side is that then on a local level a lot of the Texas guys started putting on showcases here." It wasn't Bun B's showcase, but he took the stage like he was home.
Finally, the night was closed out by Rick Ross, whose new album Mastermind just hit the top spot on the Billboard chart (I know this because he brought it up multiple times). Blazing through hits like "Hustlin'" and even a bit of his collaboration with DJ Khaled, Drake, and Lil Wayne "I'm On One." In typical Ross style he smoked (something, we're, um, not sure what), pulled up his shirt to reveal his tattooed stomach, and generally acted like the bawse. It was a sweaty, high-octane set, and – if nothing else – the best possible way to shut down yet another SXSW. Like Ross, we've hustled hard and now it's time to drop the mic. Â
Photos: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED
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